1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to dampers, and more specifically, to adjustable aircraft dampers.
2. Description of Related Art
Dampers are well known in the aircraft industry for effectively compensating for undesired forces during flight. In some embodiments, an aircraft utilizes a plurality of dampers for a rotor system, wherein undesired forces created by the rotor blades are dampened, resulting in optimal flight conditions.
A common problem associated with conventional dampers is the inability to selectively change the damper spring rate during flight. For example, an aircraft damper is subject to temperature changes as the aircraft increases elevation, which in turn affects the elastic properties of the elastomeric material disposed within the damper, resulting in different spring rates during flight. These undesired features greatly reduce the damper efficiency, thus potentially harming the flight characteristics of the aircraft during flight.
Although significant developments in dampers have been made, many shortcomings remain.
While the system and method of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.